Thought-provoking

“People buy the cheapest stuff so they can afford to buy more with their money. But because more expensive stuff often provides more value in the long term, paying more means you can actually buy more. When you buy a John Deer or a Snapper you don’t have to replace it every other year like that random wally world lawnmower.” Pay Too Much – Allen Tucker

“On the other hand, perhaps I am modeling more valuable lessons: No adult is entitled to a relationship with another person. There is no relationship so sacred that it cannot and should not be destroyed by abuse, cruelty, and backbiting. If we want to be loved, we must act lovingly.” Sometimes It’s Necessary to Divorce Your Parents – Role / Reboot

Religion

“Men had responsibilities, but also the power to decide what the scope of these responsibilities was, how they were going to meet them, and when they had met them “adequately.” Which meant that, in effect, we women were always in the business of taking up the slack on their behalf. But we didn’t derive much if any power to determine the course of our own lives (or to make the lives of our children better) from doing so. If we managed to do it well, then we were just doing what was expected, because a “good wife” was supposed to cover her husband’s shortcomings. And if we didn’t manage to take up the slack , despite trying—or, god forbid! we got tired of doing so and voiced our objections to the way things were going—then this meant that whatever happened was our fault.” Of tunes and pipers – more on patriarchy and “responsibility” – A Sober Second Look

“And that, readers, is why I titled my blog “Love, Joy, Feminism.” When it comes down to it, I hold my belief in gender equality more highly than I do my lack of belief in a God. When it comes down to it, I would much rather live in a world of religious feminists than a world of sexist atheists.” On being an Atheist AND a Feminist – Love, Joy, Feminism

“The Lord never gives someone more than they can handle. What about people with mental illness? What about people in war-torn countries who are tortured to death? What about the millions of Jews murdered in the Holocaust? And this also implies that, if really horrible things are happening to you, God “gave” it to you. Is this a test? Am I being punished? Is God just arbitrarily cruel? Just don’t say it.” Ten More Cliches Christians Should Avoid – Christian Piatt

Equality

“In one posting about Anita, a gamer critic claims that she “wants equality for women in games (but) won’t take a shot to the balls like a man.” This is the classic sexist trope that women can “dish it out” but “can’t take it.” The reality, however, is that the “shots” that women take are invariably worse than the ones men are expected to endure. Anita Sarkeesian doesn’t have testicles, but she does have a face—a face that is repeatedly bloodied and battered in the latest vicious viral attack on her work and her image. The irony is that those who literally have “balls” are the ones dishing it out without any comprehension of what it’s like to be the target of so much sexualized, violent rhetoric. No male blogger, no matter how controversial or disliked, has ever been on the receiving end of anything comparable.” Why The Internet Is More Dangerous For Women Than Men – Role / Reboot

“The survey indicates that the question “Are straight men and women able to forget sex and engage in a truly non-romantic fashion?” is too narrow. It’s wrong to think of platonic friendship as a binary proposition in which couples either avoid sex entirely and make the relationship work, or they don’t and it doesn’t.Sexual feeling within friendship exists on a Kinsey-type scale, and moderate attraction does not necessarily ruin or invalidate the relationship.” Feelings Aren’t Facts: How to Be Platonic Friends Even When Desire is Present – Hugo Schwyzer

“The bottom line is simple- walking down the street or posting a profile on a dating website is not an invitation for you to say whatever you want about me and my body. I have a right to say what I want online and wear what I want in public. I will take up space and I will not allow you to take it away from me.” Don’t Feed the Trolls – Gender Focus

“And what exactly does it mean to “promote” abortion? Providing a patient with a referral to a facility that performs abortions, referring to abortion as “within the continuum of family planning services,” “furnishing or displaying” information to a patient that “publicizes or advertises an abortion service or provider,” or displaying a “brand name” of a healthcare provider that performs abortions.” Now Texas Wants its Women’s Health Programs to Ban Doctors from Talking about Abortion – Unfair Park

“Incorporating feminism in the classroom is so much more than doing a lesson about the Suffragettes. It’s about showing girls that they matter, too, by giving them books written by women. It’s about teaching boys to respect women. It’s about encouraging girls to take math and science classes. It’s about privileging the voices and fostering the interests of all of the students in the classroom, regardless of gender.” Teaching Feminism: Why Teach Feminism? – Care2

Health

” But more than just age and looking slim I believe gut health and well being is a priority in my life. I don’t stress the skinny factor or the beauty pageant look (although these things will come as a bonus when one reaches maximum health) but the gut-brain connection and body functionality which is essentially where you want to focus. If I had to live a life of illness and personality problems (like I used to) the world will be out of control. Not anymore for me. So why not give them a try and feel better about yourself and the world?” 5 Healing-Superfoods In My Daily Regimen – Healthy Guts

“It’s not the FDA’s fault, per se, that it can’t protect you from your personal care products—the agency is as powerful as the laws it enforces. The bad news is, those laws don’t make them very powerful at all, leaving lots of room for enterprising businesses to use any and every ingredient under the sun in their products. And do they ever!” Five Ways the FDA is Failing to Protect You – GOOD

“While it’s true that Yoga can help develop strength and flexibility, it’s a shame to limit the ancient practice to such a narrow field, when historically, Yoga (much more about training the mind than touching the toes) was developed to help people understand the causes of suffering, and offered various tools and techniques to free oneself from physical, mental, and emotional dis-ease.” Yoga: A Healing Force for Negative Body Image – Beautiful You

Inspirational

“Caring about what other people think about what you do in a healthy way can help you to gain valuable feedback and keep you grounded. But caring too much about what people may say or think if you do something can keep you in the same old rut, unable to move forward and to live the life you truly want to live.” How to Not Care Too Much About What People May Think of You – Positivity Blog

“It’s too easy to say “all you have to do is follow these three steps…” It’s harder to choose to live — to accept that pain makes us grow, to ditch comfort for life, and choose to participate in our own stories.” How Do You Live Fully Alive? – Goins, Writer

Blogging

“I think that being able to get things done under pressure at the last minute is a good skill to have. Putting yourself in the position of HAVING to do that every single day isn’t so good, but that’s the zone I’ve lived in for most of my life. Over time I learned that procrastination isn’t just a “different way of doing things”, but rather a true weakness. It’s succumbing to the immediate desire for comfort rather than investing effort for the future. In my life now, it’s inexcusable.” Some Thoughts on Procrastination – Tynan

Relationships

“Yet monogamy isn’t the only rule you agreed to follow when you married your partner. Chances are, you agreed to many rules—some of which were written down as vows and many of which were unspoken. Overtime, I’m guessing, you’ve broken some of those rules from time to time, and you did so in a secret effort to gain an unfair advantage.” 5 Ways We All Cheat on Our Spouses – Project Happily Ever After